"It really takes each one of us, as well as many other incredible volunteers, to make this happen." Luap McKeever told the McDonald County Press that in 2024, while explaining who was behind the fourth annual Veterans Day ceremony in Pineville. In the same interview he said no specific organization runs the event.
The ceremony comes back for its sixth year on Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 5 to 8 p.m. on the Pineville Town Square at 503 W Main St. The McDonald County Chamber lists it under the City of Pineville. It's the county's Veterans Day gathering, and it has no headquarters, no board and no single sponsor in charge. What it has is a list of neighbors you could name, a meal the city pays for, and door prizes from local businesses. Each of those pieces explains a different part of what you'll see on the square.
A Short List of Names Holds It Together
Two local veterans, Kim Bell and Luap McKeever, organized the first ceremony in 2021. Afterward, FourStatesHomepage reported McKeever saying the point was to bring people together to celebrate veterans, and that the crowd was bigger than he expected.
By 2024 the group had grown, and McKeever named all of them in the McDonald County Press preview:
- Luap and LaSandra McKeever
- Travis and Kimberly Bell
- Emely Wilson
- Gregg, Stephanie and Kalee Sweeten
- Melissa Ziemianin
He described them as "a group of individuals that are also sponsored by the American Legion Post 392 in Pineville." So the Legion sponsors it, but the event belongs to the people doing the work. That's why each year's details depend on what the volunteers can line up, and why the program can change from one November to the next.
Six Years, Several Different Clocks
You can trace the ceremony's growth in its start and end times. Here's how each edition was advertised:
- 2021: 5 to 7 p.m. on a Thursday. The McDonald County Press preview listed Leanna Schlessman singing the national anthem, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft speaking, video messages from Gov. Mike Parson and Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, a free dinner and fireworks. That evening also honored James B. Tatum's induction into the Missouri Veterans Hall of Fame.
- 2022: Dinner started around 5 p.m., and the Chamber listed the ceremony itself from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
- 2023: The McDonald County Press called it the third annual and pictured speakers, dinner, fireworks and children waving flags on the square.
- 2024: Advertised for 4 to 7 p.m., with four speakers, an emcee, a band and fireworks.
- 2025: The fifth annual listing ran from 5 to 9 p.m. and promised a free dinner, entertainment, door prizes for veterans, a Veteran of the Year award and fireworks.
- 2026: 5 to 8 p.m. on the Pineville Town Square.
What started as a one-hour program built around dinner in 2022 is now an evening that runs about three hours. The Chamber's 2026 listing gives the time and place but no program yet. For this year's lineup, check the event's Facebook page, which organizers have pointed people to in past years.
The City's Part Arrives on a Plate
The City of Pineville's main contribution is supper. In 2024, McKeever told the McDonald County Press that the city pays for the food and volunteers cook it. "Chili, spaghetti, Frito pies, etc. will be served all free of charge to attendees, thanks again to the city of Pineville," he said.
That year's menu was spaghetti red, Frito pie, chili dogs, chili, and red beans and rice, cooked by Kenny and Kathy Underwood. McKeever said the free food is what makes it a family-friendly evening. Because the meal is open to everyone, a ceremony honoring veterans also works as a weeknight dinner on the square for the whole county. The 2024 preview put it this way: "The community is invited to come early, invite friends and family, and honor veterans throughout the event."
The 2026 menu hasn't been announced. Supper has been part of every edition back to 2021, and the 2025 listing again promised a free dinner.
Door Prizes Only Veterans Can Win
Local businesses supply the third piece. In 2024, McKeever said all veterans in attendance were eligible for door prizes, and only veterans could win them. "Door prizes are donated by many of our local businesses, and there are some wonderful prizes to be given away again this year," he told the McDonald County Press.
The 2024 edition also added collectible gifts for the first 50 veterans to arrive. It was the first time organizers had tried that. If someone in your family served, getting to the square early has been worth it in past years.
Recent editions have also included a Veteran of the Year award. Arnold Landers received it at the 2023 ceremony. In 2024, McKeever presented the award himself, with Kimberly Bell as emcee. The 2024 speakers were veterans Ken Cowin, Dennis Kirk and McKeever, along with Nick Graves of the Historical Society. Organizers also planned a "special surprise" that year and said they wouldn't know whether it would happen until the day before.
"The main goal of the event is to celebrate all of our veterans in McDonald County," McKeever said. He also pointed out that the county was named in 1849 for a Revolutionary War veteran, Sgt. Alexander McDonald.
Fireworks Beside the Courthouse Museum, When Conditions Allow
The evening usually ends with fireworks over the square, next to the Historic Courthouse Museum. A McDonald County Press year-in-review photo shows the 2023 fireworks just to the right of the museum. In 2024, the band Broken Aces played first, and the McDonald County Press reported that a 25-minute fireworks show closed the night.
The fireworks have always depended on conditions. Before the 2024 event, McKeever described the show as "pending the burn ban that is in place currently." This year, the state's burn-ban spreadsheet listed a 30-day McDonald County ban from Aug. 27 to Sept. 26, 2026, which could be extended or lifted. The Missouri Division of Fire Safety keeps the county-by-county list, and it notes that a county burn ban can restrict skyrocket-type fireworks. If a dry week comes along, the finale could be the part that changes.
Before You Head to the Square
- When: Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, 5 to 8 p.m.
- Where: Pineville Town Square, 503 W Main St.
- Listed under: City of Pineville, on the McDonald County Chamber event page
- Cost: Past editions have been free, including the meal
- Veterans: Come early. In past years, gifts went to the first arrivals, and veterans were the only ones eligible for door prizes
There are other ways to mark the day around the county. In 2025, McDonald County High School JROTC cadets ran a Field of Flags fundraiser for Veterans Day, separate from the ceremony on the square.
After Nov. 11, the square fills up again soon. The City of Pineville's 2026 events calendar lists the Lighted Christmas Parade for Saturday, Dec. 5, at 5:30 p.m.
At Show-Me Real Estate, we love seeing the Pineville square fill up with neighbors honoring the people who served, and we hope to see you out there on Nov. 11. If you'd like to talk about life in McDonald County, or anything else on your mind this fall, Schedule a Free Consultation and we'll sit down with you like neighbors do.
